


Love Me Tender

by Introvertia



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy Hargrove Lives, Billy Hargrove Was Raised Catholic, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay Billy Hargrove, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Post-Season/Series 03, Prompt Fic, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27833794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Introvertia/pseuds/Introvertia
Summary: Steve sometimes takes on too much, trying to look after everyone (but himself). Billy feels alienated being back in Hawkins after living through the worst 4th of July of his entire life (and temporary death). It's good thing they're in love and living together.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 18
Kudos: 93





	Love Me Tender

**Author's Note:**

  * For [soundboardkittens](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soundboardkittens/gifts).



> This ficlet was inspired by a prompt from soundboardkittens. I might have ran amok with your prompt but I hope you can see how you've influenced and inspired this story. Thank you so much!

**Steve**

**Part 1**

Steve marched up the three flights of creaking stairs with a bag of groceries in each arm, he nearly dropped one of the bags when he tilted his wrist to check the time, he had about twenty minutes before he needed to pick up Dustin. He’d promised he’d drive Dustin over to Carterville for the Roan County Science Fair. Steve adjusted the bags in his arms and picked up his pace.

He’d also promised Billy that he’d go to the market and get dinner started since Billy was working late and he’d cooked the last four nights in a row. Steve felt guilty for not holding up his end of the bargain when it came to being a good roommate, he even felt worse for not being a better boyfriend.

Steve let himself into their small one bedroom apartment. They had a view of the park from their living room window and there was a laundromat downstairs, it had been a lucky find. Sure they were still stuck in Hawkins for now, but when Billy finished with he Electrician’s course he’d told Steve they were moving to San Diego. He hadn’t asked Steve, he’d just announced, “When I’m done getting certified we’re moving to San Diego. I’m gonna teach you how to surf.” Steve had simply nodded, he wasn’t going to say no to that. Who wouldn’t want to live in San Diego?

Steve was still working at Family Video, but it just wasn’t the same since Robin had left for college. The days felt longer and duller than before. The perk of free movie rentals no longer was all that exciting. The worst part was his last raise had been fifteen cents. Working there was a joke, there was no way he could afford to rent an apartment if Billy wasn’t paying half and often covering all of the utility bills. Steve plugged in the crockpot, shed his heavy winter jacket, dumped the vegetables he’d purchased on the counter and started chopping. He was really good at making chicken stew in a crockpot, he hoped Billy wouldn’t be disappointed that Steve was making it again, Steve only knew about five recipes.Steve saw a note on the fridge that he’d left there for himself as a reminder. Nancy had asked him to come over and help her put up the Christmas lights on her house. Normally her dad did it, but he’d injured himself and was laid-up. “Tomorrow,” Steve muttered to himself. The phone rang and Steve grabbed it, he tucked it under his chin and kept slicing, glancing at his watch again.

“Hello?”

“Hey Steve, can we pick up Lucas and Max too? I told them that we could.” Dustin was on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, listen can they be at your place?” Steve grabbed a potato and started chopping faster.

“Oh, I told Lucas and Max that you could get them from Lucas’s place, I mean, he’s not that far from me.” Dustin said.

“Fine, great. See you in ten.” Steve hung up and grabbed another potato and sliced it quickly, he managed to slice his finger as well. “Shit!” Steve dropped his knife and stuck his hand under the sink rinsing the cut. The phone rang again.

“Yeah?” Steve turned off the water and looked at his cut.

“Hey, are you okay?” Nancy’s voice sounded tentative.

“Oh hey Nance, I haven’t forgotten about the Christmas lights.” Steve wrapped a paper napkin around his finger wondering if they had any band-aids in the apartment.

“Actually I need a favor? I’m over at Al’s garage and my mom’s car is like totally dead, they’re ordering a new battery but it won’t arrive until tomorrow, can you pick me up?”

Steve paced a bit, “Sure, I uh, I gotta drop off Dustin, Lucas and Max in Carterville, do you mind going for the ride?”

“Oh, no I don’t mind. Beats walking home. It’s freezing outside.”

“Okay, uh, I’ll be about ten minutes or so.” Steve hung up the phone before Nancy could finish thanking him.

He dumped the rest of the ingredients into the crock-pot and grabbed his jacket. He was halfway out the door when he realized he wasn’t sure he’d turned on the crockpot and ran back up to make sure that the crock-pot was actually on, (which it hadn’t been) and then ran back down the stairs and hopped in his car.

**Billy**

**Part 2**

Billy was dropped off at the corner by David Warren, the man that was mentoring him and giving him on the job training to become a certified electrician. Billy had put in a little over nine hours that day and was glad to be done. Billy’s only complaint about working with David was his limited taste in music. Over the last four weeks Billy had accidentally learned all the lyrics to Love Me Tender, (I Just Wanna Be) Your Teddy Bear, Jailhouse Rock and several other of Elvis Presley’s greatest hits that he didn’t know the names of. When David was working he had one rule about music, it was Elvis or nothing. Billy often silently prayed for nothing, apparently the saints were also partial to the musical stylings of Elvis Presley.

“Good job today, see you in the morning.” David said with a salute from behind the wheel of his van. As he drove away Billy heard the opening chords of In the Ghetto.

Billy waved briefly and started walking, he wanted to get home but needed to make a stop first. He smoked as he walked to the hardware store. He needed a new pair of gloves, he’d lost his old pair at the job site the previous day and when he’d gone back that morning they were gone. He figured someone had found them and taken them home. Billy tried not to think of them as cash flying out of his wallet but that’s what he pictured. Winged dollar bills vanishing into the heavens. At least he was on his way to making more money.

It had felt like a joke when Billy had had to apply to a union to become an apprentice, but now he wore the ‘International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ patch on his blue work jacket with pride. It was one thing to wear a varsity jacket and get good grades, it was a whole new feeling to wear the patch and know that he was on his way to earning good wages. He had plans, big plans. Moving back to California was number one. Billy had never wanted to move to Indiana, and his father had popped him in the mouth for telling him he’d rather stay in California and be homeless. The only good thing about Hawkins was Steve, and Billy was going to take his _pretty boy_ with him. He couldn’t wait to send his father a postcard with palm trees all the way from California. He’d write two words “Fuck You.”

Billy walked into the hardware store and turned down the aisle heading to the section that had the work gloves and a tall skinny kid with a mop of dark hair walked right into him.

“Watch it.” Billy snarled.

“Sorry, oh.” Mike Wheeler’s eyes went big, he had a spool of copper wire in one hand and a half eaten sandwich in the other,his backpack was slipping off his shoulder.

“Wheeler,” Billy said cooly.

“I uh didn’t see you, sorry Billy.” Mike sputtered.

Billy nodded eyeing him, he didn’t even have to try and intimidate Mike Wheeler, the kid alreadylooked like he was close to fainting.

“Uh, how’s Steve?” Mike blurted the question looking at the ground and then back at Billy.

“Fine, I guess.” Billy said, it always felt loaded when people asked him about Steve. He hadn’t realize it would become a normal question once they were roommates. To Billy it felt like people were being nosey, or worse suspected they were more than just roommates.

“El was asking about you.” Mike said, he looked over Billy’s shoulder, and then at the shelf.

“Oh yeah?” Billy leaned on the shelf watching Mike squirm. Mike was now as tall as Billy, but couldn’t be more than half his weight.

“Uh yeah. She thinks you’re really brave…” Mike mumbled.

Billy licked his teeth in thought, “You two doing the long distance thing?”

Mike shrugged a single shoulder and muttered, “Yeah. We’re still together.”

Billy leaned forward, “Two words for you.”

Mike flinched like Billy might punch him. “What?”

Billy smiled wolfishly, “Two words, Wheeler. Phone. Sex.”

“What?!” Mike let loose a weird sound that was something between choking, snorting and a tittering nervous laugh, his cheeks turned crimson.

“Tell your mom I said hi.” Billy walked around Mike, watching his shoulders rise as if was expecting to get sucker punched.

Billy stood in front of the shop’s selection of gloves. There were about six different types of work gloves. He eyed the prices chewing on his bottom lip. The last pair he’d purchased had started falling apart after only three months, they’d been cheap and cheaply made. He reached up and took down a pair of high-end quality gloves and slipped one on, it was a good fit and they were sturdy but also not so thick that they made it hard to make a proper fist. The price was more than he thought he should spend, but he reasoned that he’d been really good about keeping to his budget, and one splurge wouldn’t kill him. He turned and walked up the aisle. Mike was still paying for his purchase. The nerd was clearly terrified of him, Billy had no doubt. Billy hung back, not wanting to scare the dweeb. Once Mike had cleared out Billy set the gloves on the counter and pulled out his wallet. The girl behind the counter looked up at him, unsmiling.

“Is that all?” She asked, her eyes lingered on the scar on his cheek and then seemed to fix on the white scar tissue on his arms that ran like pale rivers down to the tops of his hands.

“Yep.” Billy said.

She had long auburn hair, she looked a little bit like Nicole the long faced redhead from high school. Billy almost asked the girl if Nicole was her sister, then decided he didn’t care.

“Didn’t you work at the pool?” Not-Nicole asked.

“Yeah.” Billy said meeting her gaze.

“So sad about Heather, just like vanishing.” She said as she was punching the keys of the register.

She didn’t look sad though, she looked like she was wondering if Billy was culpable.

Billy held out a ten-dollar bill. “I don’t need a bag.”

“Don’t you wonder what happened to her?” She looked up at him her mouth tight waiting for an answer.

Billy fixed her with a cold stare. “Lots of people died at the mall. They didn’t just vanish, they were crushed beyond recognition.”

“You got out.” She said it so simply, but in Billy’s ear it sounded like she blamed him, like she knew he was really a monster just walking around in a people suit. She set Billy’s change on the counter.

Billy walked slowly to his and Steve’s apartment, giving himself time to smoke and think. Things hadn’t been the same since he’d gotten back from the hospital, not that he wanted them to be the same, but it would be nice if things had gotten better. Before the Shadow it had felt like he was cock of the walk, like he could seduce, influence or intimidate nearly anyone in that shit hole town, but now it felt like people either feared him or were suspicious of him, or simply blamed him for all the shit that had gone down in the summer of ’85.

He was thankful to have Steve to go home to. His big hearted boyfriend, with his guileless eye, and cheesy smile. Steve was so quick to smile, it mesmerized Billy. He’d never been rewarded for grinning as a kid, his father seemed to think it was a sign of mockery or at the very least it meant that Billy was up to something. So Billy just chose not to smile as much as he instinctually wanted to, unless he was trying to win someone over, or teasing someone, but Steve was changing that about him. Steve’s weird habit of smiling in the middle of kissing, that Billy had found annoying at first, now made Billy smile back.

Steve Harrington was a lot of things, but what surprised Billy the most was that he was practically a saint when it came to looking after him, and everyone else too. Billy didn’t know if that was a good thing, most saints had horrible periods of intense suffering. Billy did not want that for Steve.

**Steve**

**Part 3**

Steve had picked up Dustin from his place then driven the short distance to grab Max and Lucas from the Sinclair’s household. After that he sped over to get Nancy from the mechanic’s garage. The car was noisy with excited chatter from Dustin, Lucas and Max. Mike had elected not to go to the fair because he was working on an experiment that he wanted to enter into some State wide contest that was coming up next year in February. Dustin explained Mike’s project in excruciating detail. It all went in one of Steve’s ears and out the other. No matter how patiently Steve tried to listen, the whole radio and sound waves technology stuff just didn’t capture his imagination in the least.

“Okay, okay, it’s all Mike talks about when we have dinner,” Nancy said and then turned in her seat looking at Dustin, “Where’s your experiment for the science fair?”

“I’m so glad you asked!” Dustin said unzipping his duffle bag.

Max and Lucas groaned in response.

“You should have just made a volcano.” Lucas said.

“At least that would be fun to look at.” Max added.

“Now just hold on a second, these charts and graphs are loads of fun.” Dustin said unrolling his poster boards, “And I’ve got these battery powered little wires that work I can use for morse code!”

“I did something similar to that in sixth grade.” Max muttered.

“You did not!” Dustin’s voice pitched up, “You’re not letting me fully explain there’s no way a sixth grader, not even you Max, could pull off what I’ve put together.”

Steve was glad when the three chatty teens poured out of his car and headed over to the Carterville town center where the fair was being held. Dustin tried to get Steve to say he’d come back to pick them up, thankfully Lucas volunteered that his mother and sister were coming to the Science fair later and that they could get a ride back with them. Steve almost told Lucas to kiss his mother for him, but realized how weird that would sound so instead he just looked at Dustin and said “Have fun at the fair, get a blue ribbon or whatever.” And then sped back to Hawkins with Nancy in the passenger seat.

All the way back to Hawkins Nancy filled Steve in on how Jonathan was doing. At the beginning of the conversation she sounded like she was going to break up with him. Steve felt really bad for Jonathan, the guy was crazy about her. Much to Steve’s surprise by the time he dropped Nancy off it sounded as if she was going to run away and elope with Jonathan.

Steve wondered why relationships had to be so complicated and suddenly felt really lucky to be with Billy. Billy didn’t talk much about his feelings but he was good at being honest and direct when he did have something to say.

Steve made it home and parked his car, he checked his watch on the way up the stairs and tripped a bit but thankfully didn’t go down. He cut it close but had made it home before Billy, and had enough time to set the table, he knew Billy would never complain about something like that, but it was important to Steve to have dinner be just so. Thursday and Sunday nights were the only nights when they could actually have a leisurely dinner together and Steve wanted it to be nice.

Steve’s head was spinning a bit, he realized he’d not eaten since breakfast because he’d spent his lunch going to the market so he could go straight home after work. Steve had the lid to the crockpot in one hand when he heard the apartment door open. Billy walked in the kitchen, his cheeks ruddy from the cold, the scent of cigarettes clinging to him, his brow a little tight.

“Hey.” Steve said, “Just in time.” He ladled some food into Billy’s favorite red bowl.

“Smells good.” Billy said tossing his jacket on the couch and dumping his tool belt on the floor near the front door.

Steve set the bowl down and served himself watching Billy sit down to eat.

“Work okay?” Steve asked.

“Yeah.” Billy sat down and picked up a spoon and stirred his food.

Steve sat across from his boyfriend, watching him closely. He could tell Billy had something on his mind but clearly wasn’t ready to talk about it. Steve had learned to accept that Billy needed time to kind of sit with his feelings. Steve imagined himself stalking a tiger, patient and aware that if he struck at the wrong moment he’d be putting his life at risk, well, not literally but he’d definitely get _Snarky-Grumpy-Billy_ , instead of _Straight-Shooter-Billy_.

Steve ate some of his stew and wondered if Billy was worried about money, or was secretly mad at him. Steve watched Billy take a few spoonfuls of stew and then kind of space out lost in thought. Steve jogged his knee wanting to ask, but knew better. He wondered if Billy actually liked his job, what if he hated it but didn’t want to say as much because they needed the money?

“Maybe I could get a second job… I’m not really sure where, but it doesn’t matter. I mean, even if it’s just minimum wage.” Steve stirred his stew around, “That way I could help more.”

Billy looked at Steve and shook his head, “No.”

“What?” Steve looked at Billy, “No, just no?”

“You already work full-time, and we have enough for rent and food.” Billy said simply.

“I know but,” Steve set his spoon down.

“But what?” Billy ate a mouthful of hot stew and wiped his lips looking at Steve.

“You’re making more money than I am.” Steve said, it sounded awful in his own ears, like he was blaming Billy for doing better than him.

“So?” Billy shrugged.

“I want to take care of you.” Steve blurted.

“I’m not some damsel in distress.” Billy sighed, “Look, Harrington, I don’t care, I don’t care if things are tight. You don’t need to play the chivalrous head of house hold bullshit.”

“I’m not talking about being the head of the household.” Steve stabbed at his stew with the edge of his spoon.

“No?” Billy eyed Steve, “You don’t have to take care of everyone all the time.”

“Yes, well. I mean…” Steve frowned, why didn’t Billy understand that he did in fact have to take care of everyone all the time?

Billy set down his spoon and walked over to Steve. Billy placed his hands on the armrest’s of Steve’s chair and turned it with him in it. “Come here.”

“I am here.” Steve griped.

Billy smiled, and then scooped Steve off the chair. Billy had been working out and getting back into shape, Steve hadn’t realized just how much muscle mass Billy had packed back on.

“Oh shit!” Steve laughed and threw his arms around Billy’s neck.

Billy sat down heavily on the couch that was a few feet away from their small kitchen and squeezed Steve close to keeping him in his lap.

“Listen Harrington, you don’t have to be like, Atlas. You know what I mean?” Billy brushed his stubbled cheek against Steve’s.

“Uh…” Steve blushed, not really sure what Billy meant.

“Stop trying to take care of everyone.” Billy said.

Steve sighed. He leaned heavily on Billy, enjoying the heat radiating from him, that and his solidness. “I just want to help.” Steve said softly.

“You do help, dumb-ass.” Billy said, “Why don’t you let me take care of you for a change?”

Steve paused. He had to admit he was running himself ragged, trying to take care of the kids, be there for Nancy, and Billy had relied on him a lot more when he’d first come back from the hospital, but Billy was stronger now, clearly! Billy wasn’t in recovery any longer, he was recovered and Steve had to get used to that change. Steve kissed Billy’s cheek and smiled. “You’re really strong.”

Billy lifted an eyebrow, “Are you just noticing now?”

“No, just… you know, it’s kinda hot.”

“Just kinda?” Billy fixed Steve with a look of doubt.

“Okay, okay, It’s really hot.” Steve smiled broadly.

**Billy**

**Part 4**

Steve and Billy decided to finish their dinner on the couch watching TV. They caught a rerun of Gilligan’s Island, Three’s Company and then an episode of M.A.S.H. before they decided to got to bed.

Their bedroom had two beds, strictly for appearances. The bed that was ‘Billy’s’ as usual was piled high with clean laundry, in stacks of folded shirts and jumbles of socks that were missing their pairs, and jeans and boxers, it was a mess that migrated from there onto their bodies and then the hamper, rarely making it into the drawers or the closets. A few of library books were on the foot of the bed. Billy eyed them recalling that he needed to return them. The last time that he’d been there a little girl that he’d given swimming lessons to, had ran up to him and thrown her arms around his legs and hugged him while head butting him affectionately.

“Julia Keane.” Billy had said genuinely surprised and deeply pleased by her unbridled excitement at seeing him.

“I can dive now, I learned how.” Julia announced loudly her voice carrying across the quiet library, she couldn’t be more than six years old, her thick curly hair was pulled back into two pompoms on either side of her head.

“Julia, come here.” Her mother stage whispered.

“That’s very cool of you Julia.” Billy crouched to get eye level with her.

Julia smiled at Billy, her expression proud. She touched his collarbone her fingers landing on a pale tendril of a scar. “Did that hurt?”

“Only a little.” Billy said with a shrug.

Julia’s mother walked over and snatched her daughter’s hand, she looked at Billy like he was some kind of leper, as if his scars would infect her daughter.

“Are we leaving?” Julia asked her mother and then looked at Billy and waved.

“Bye Julia. Good job.” Billy said watching her get hauled to the check out counter. Her mother shot him a look that was both cold and a little fearful.

Billy tapped the books on his bed, he’d come back from the dead only to be received like fucking Frankenstein’s monster by the village idiots.

“I’m not a monster.” Billy said to himself.

“Of course you’re not, who said you’re a monster?” Steve walked in the room and leaned on Billy’s shoulder, his breath was minty with tooth-paste.

“No one.” Billy said, he pulled back the blankets on ‘Steve’s’ bed and got in, not wanting to talk about it. He didn’t want to think about Julia’s mom, or the cashier at the hardware store, or even geeky Mike Wheeler.Billy watched as Steve opened his mouth to speak and then stopped mid breath because the phone rang. Steve grabbed it. Billy opened his copy of Blood on the Moon, he’d gotten in the habit of reading mystery novels when he was stuck in the hospital, he couldn’t stomach science fiction or horror novels anymore.

“Oh hey. Good, good… You got the kids to do it?” Steve asked sounding surprised.

Billy lifted his eyes from his book unabashedly listening to Steve’s phone conversation.

“Yeah, that’s great.” Steve twisted the phone cord and nodded as he spoke. “Okay Nance, well, let me know if you need any help, I mean with other stuff.”

Billy threw his pillow at Steve’s head. “Hey!” Steve picked up the pillow and tossed it back to Billy. “Uh, sorry Nance, uh, yeah. Okay, yeah tell Jonathan I said hi when you talk to him. Okay, yeah. Okay. Bye.” Steve hung up the phone and rested his hands on his hips, “What was that for?”

“Stop trying to help everyone. She’s got her dweeb brother, he can help her.”

“He’s really not that handy. She’s got him hanging Christmas lights, but you know if Dustin wasn’t there to help him I’d be worried.”

“She’s not your responsibility anymore.”

“She’s my friend.”

“Friends do fun things, not just dumb chores and favors.”

“I know.” Steve nodded.

“Besides,” Billy paused, and then just said exactly what he was thinking, “If anyone’s your responsibility it’s me, get in here.”

Steve smiled and got in bed beside Billy. Billy felt Steve drape across him. “You’re so warm.” Steve said contentedly snuggling to him.

Billy stroked Steve’s hair. He loved how Steve just flopped on top of him, how much he trusted him. Billy felt Steve’s fingertip gently tracing a scar that ran the length of Billy’s forearm. “What are you doing?” Billy asked.

“Nothing.” Steve smiled up at Billy and nestled closer, he slid his hand under Billy’s t-shirt, his fingers gently tracing circles over Billy’s scarred chest.

“It’s like you have a weird fetish.” Billy muttered.

“I totally have a fetish, it’s a Billy Hargrove fetish, don’t tell anyone.” Steve teased happily. Steve sat up on his hip looking at Billy, his expression growing serious. “Why did you say that earlier, why did you say ‘I’m not a monster’?”

Billy frowned and then exhaled slowly, before speaking. “People are afraid of me. Ever since I came back, I mean maybe they were before… but it’s different now. It’s like I’m paying for someone else’s crimes.”

“I’m not afraid of you. You don’t owe anyone shit, you hear me?” Steve said into Billy’s chest. “Fuck those people. You’re not a monster, you’re a hero. I’d trust you with my life, Billy. I’ve never felt safer with anyone than the way I do with you.”

Billy reached over and turned off the light. He held Steve in the dark listening to him breathe. Steve twisted on his side and shoved his back against Billy’s chest. Billy chuckled softly. It was only once they’d moved in together that Steve had started silently demanding to be the _little spoon_ nearly every night _._

“Comfy?” Billy asked.

“Mm-hmm. S’good.” Steve replied contentedly.

Billy pulled Steve close and tenderly kissed his neck and shoulder, in the darkened room it was easier to say all the things he wanted to, nights in bed with Steve were like truth-serum to Billy.

“I love you Steve, and I’m gonna protect you and take care of you…and I know you’re gonna take care of me too.” Billy whispered.

“I love you too.” Steve replied as he pulled up Billy’s hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles, “I’m gonna love you forever, Billy Hargrove.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
